In a CNN interview, Christa Foley, the head hiring manager at Zappos, says her favorite question to ask potential employees in an interview is, “What is the biggest misperception people typically have about you?”
Although this question is difficult to answer, it serves a purpose. The law firm that you are interviewing for is looking to fill in a position and want to know what you can and cannot do. When it comes to answering what are your strengths, be confident but not arrogant. Now when answering the question about your weaknesses be direct and honest. Figure out what is your weakness, acknowledge it, and work hard to master it, or utilize it in furthering your potential benefit.
For instance, you could think your colleagues perceive you as procrastinating and missing deadlines, even though the real reason that you’re missing deadlines is because you’re too swamped multitasking with other work. So, a way to spin this to fulfill the “What is your greatest weakness?” question is to say something like, “One of my weaknesses is being able to prioritize projects with a deadline before my other work, since I want to spread my attention equally over all projects.” Then you should explain what you’re doing to remedy the situation. “I’ve started creating prioritized lists with the deadlines written down, so I can see what really needs my attention when. Then I focus 100 percent of my attention on these prioritized items.”
It’s important to step back and look at yourself objectively and honestly in interviews. As Foley says, it gets candidates to talk “about themselves in unscripted ways, so that we can see if the cultural fit is there.” By brainstorming now, you’ll be prepared when you’re put on the spot and need to identify that all-too-common question.
